1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data transfer method of transferring, for printing image data analyzed by an analysis processor, the image data from the analysis processor to a print processor, and a machine readable recording medium with image analysis intermediate data recorded thereon, and in particular to a technique suitable to transfer, when a certain processor requests a print processing-dedicated processor to print image data, the image data in, for example, a client server system.
2) Description of the Related Art
In general, a method of printing image data by a processor includes stand-alone type processing shown in FIG. 10, and distributed processing shown in FIG. 11.
In the stand-alone type processing shown in FIG. 10, a common processor 100 is used for analysis processing and print processing of the image data. That is, the processor 100 includes an analysis processor 100a and a print processor 100b. The analysis processor 100a analyzes the image data to be printed to create intermediate data consisting of color data and coordinate values as will be described referring to FIG. 12. Further, the print processor 100b loads the intermediate data created in the analysis processor 100a into a bit map memory (not shown), and causes a printer (or setter [exposure apparatus]) 101 to print (output) a result of loading.
However, in the stand-alone type processing as described above, the entire processing of analyzing and printing the image data is performed in the common processor 100 so that the processor 100 is put under heavier load, resulting in a lower speed at which the image data is printed.
Hence, in recent years, there has been widely employed the distributed type (client server type) processing shown in FIG. 11, in which discrete processors 110, 111 are provided to perform analysis processing and print processing of image data. That is, in the distributed type processing, an analysis processor 110a of the processor 110 performs the same processing as that performed in the analysis processor 100a of FIG. 10, and a print processor 111a of the processor 111 performs the same processing as that performed in the print processor 100b in FIG. 10.
In this case, the intermediate data created in the analysis processor 110a of the processor 110 is transferred from the processor 110 to the processor 111 over a LAN 120, or is transferred to the processor 111 after being temporarily stored on a hard disk 130 in the processor 110. Alternatively, the intermediate data may be stored on a floppy disk (hereinafter often referred to as FPD) 140, and the FPD 140 may manually be brought to the processor 111. The processor 111 may read the transferred intermediate data from FPD 140.
As stated above, the analysis processing and the print processing are not performed in the common processor, but performed in the discrete processors 110, 111 in a distributed manner. It is thereby possible to efficiently perform the entire processing of analyzing and printing the image data.
Meanwhile, the intermediate data created in the analysis processor 110a of the processor 110 has, for example, a format (data structure) as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows intermediate data which is created in the analysis processor 110a in order to magnify twice in length and width and print image data of 512xc3x97512 pixels including CMYK (Cyanogen, Magenta, Yellow, and Black).
In this case, the analysis processor 110a calculates, for each pixel, the intermediate data consisting of the color data (4 bytes) of the pixel, and the x and y coordinates (16 bytes) of a bottom left endpoint and a top right endpoint of the pixel by using a transformation matrix [a b c d tx ty] for transformation of a position of each pixel of the image data into an actual printing position. Therefore, since 512xc3x97512 combinations of the color data and the rectangular coordinate data are given, the analysis processor 110a creates the intermediate data having the size of 5 Mbytes (20 bytesxc3x97512xc3x97512=5,242,880 bytes=5 Mbytes).
Here, in the transformation matrix, the matrix elements a, d specify scale factors in x and y direction, the matrix elements b, c are rotation elements in the x and y direction, and the matrix elements tx, ty are the x and y coordinates (parallel movement elements) of a position from which the printing must be started (a position of the origin of a print area). In the illustration shown in FIG. 12, the image data is magnified twice in length and width, and is printed starting with the origin of print area coordinates. Thus, the matrix elements a, d are set to twos, and b, c, tx, and ty are set to zeros. The transformation matrix transforms the image data of 512xc3x97512 pixels into image data of 1,024xc3x971,024 pixels, which is printed in a predetermined print area.
However, in the conventional intermediate data shown in FIG. 12, the color data of the pixel and the rectangular coordinate data indicating a position at which the pixel is printed are paired for each pixel. Hence, an extremely large data size applies an excessively heavy load to the LAN 120 over which the intermediate data is transferred.
Further, when the intermediate data is stored on the hard disk 130 or the FPD 140, due to the extremely large data size thereof, the intermediate data occupies much of a memory capacity, and the entire intermediate data for one image data can not be stored on the single FPD 140.
In particular, it is necessary to analyze and transfer A3 or A2 size image data in a system for printing a newspaper, and so forth. In this case, the above problem becomes more pronounced since the intermediate data size becomes considerably large. It is difficult to transfer the intermediate data over a communication network such as LAN 120, or the recording medium such as FPD 140.
Even when the intermediate data is decreased in size to reduce the load applied to the communication network such as LAN 120, another problem is left. When the intermediate data having the format shown in FIG. 12 is transferred over the LAN 120, the analysis processor 110a to create the intermediate data is put under heavier load than that on the print processor 111a. Hence, intermediate data creation processing takes a longer time than that required by print processing.
Hence, as shown in FIG. 13, a period to wait for transfer of the intermediate data from the analysis processor 110a is inevitably generated in the print processor 111a. As a result, it is impossible to efficiently perform the analysis/print processing of the image data.
Further, the analysis processor 110a of the processor 110 must perform not only the intermediate data creation processing but also various other processing. Consequently, it is undesirable that the load on the analysis processor 110a increases due to only the intermediate data creation processing.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image data transfer method and a machine readable recording medium with image analysis intermediate data recorded thereon, in which an intermediate data format is improved to reduce intermediate data so as to provide very portable intermediate data, and keep in balance loads on an analysis processor and a print processor so as to efficiently perform analysis processing and print processing of image data.
According to the present invention, for achieving the above-mentioned objects, there is provided an image data transfer method of transferring, for printing image data analyzed by an analysis processor, the image data from the analysis processor to a print processor. The method includes the steps of creating, in the analysis processor, image analysis intermediate data containing a matrix element of a transformation matrix for transformation of a position of each pixel of the image data into an actual printing position, and color information of the pixels arranged in the order in which the pixels of the image data are arranged, and transferring the image analysis intermediate data created in the analysis processor to the print processor.
Further, the print processor finds, in the order in which the pixels of the image data are arranged, a print area of each pixel of the image data depending upon the matrix element of the transformation matrix in the image analysis intermediate data, and reads the color information of each pixel from the image analysis intermediate data to write the color information onto the print area.
Alternatively, the analysis processor may add to the image analysis intermediate data a format of the color information as sample format information, and the print processor may perform print processing according to the sample format information in the image analysis intermediate data.
Further, the analysis processor may add to the image analysis intermediate data the number of pixels per row of the image data, and the number of color information contained in the image analysis intermediate data, and the print processor may perform pixel loading processing by one row and calculation processing of a print start position of the next row depending upon the number of pixels per row in the image analysis intermediate data, and may repeatedly perform the pixel loading processing and the calculation processing according to the number of color information in the image analysis intermediate data.
Meanwhile, the image analysis intermediate data created in the analysis processor may be transferred to the print processor through storage on a machine readable recording medium, or may be transferred to the print processor over a communication network.
In the above-mentioned image data transfer method according to the present invention, the analysis processor creates the image analysis intermediate data containing both the matrix element of the transformation matrix and the color information of each pixel, and transfers the image analysis intermediate data to the print processor.
Therefore, since the intermediate data can be reduced, it is possible to efficiently store the intermediate data on the recording medium such as FPD, and reduce the load on the communication network when the intermediate data is transferred over the communication network.
In addition, though a calculation of a position at which each pixel is printed is conventionally made in the analysis processor, the calculation can be made in the print processor depending upon the intermediate data. It is thereby possible to keep in balance loads on the analysis processor and the print processor.
On the other hand, according to the present invention, there is provided a machine readable recording medium on which, for transferring image data analyzed by an analysis processor from the analysis processor to a print processor, image analysis intermediate data created from the image data in the analysis processor is recorded. In the machine readable recording medium, the image analysis intermediate data is recorded on a data file created on the recording medium. The data file has a matrix element data area containing a matrix element of a transformation matrix for transformation of a position of each pixel of the image data into an actual printing position in the print processor, and a color data area containing color information to be written on a print area of each pixel of the image data in the print processor. Further, the color information of the pixels of the image data are arranged in the color data area in the order in which the pixels of the image data are arranged.
In this case, the data file has a format data area containing sample format information used for posting a format of the color information to the print processor.
Further, the data file has a row pixel number data area containing the number of pixels per row of the image data, required to perform pixel loading processing by one row and calculation processing of a print start position of the next row in the print processor, and a count value data area in which the number of color information contained in the image analysis intermediate data is recorded to define the number of times the pixel loading processing and the calculation processing are repeated in the print processor.
On the above-mentioned machine readable recording medium according to the present invention, the image analysis intermediate data is recorded to have the format containing, at least, the matrix element of the transformation matrix and the color information of each pixel without any rectangular coordinate data indicating a position at which each pixel is printed. As a result, the size of the intermediate data can considerably be reduced unlike conventional intermediate data.
In addition, though a calculation of a position at which each pixel is printed is conventionally made in an analysis processor, the calculation can be made in the print processor depending upon the intermediate data. It is thereby possible to keep in balance loads on the analysis processor and the print processor.
As set forth above, it is possible to reduce the intermediate data transferred from the analysis processor to the print processor in the image data transfer method according to the present invention. It is thereby possible to efficiently store the intermediate data on the recording medium such as FPD, and reduce the load on a communication network when the intermediate data is transferred over the communication network. As a result, the intermediate data can be made easily portable.
In addition, though a calculation of a position at which each pixel is printed is conventionally made in an analysis processor, the calculation can be made in the print processor depending upon the intermediate data. It is thereby possible to keep in balance loads on the analysis processor and the print processor. Thus, in the print processor is generated no period to wait for transfer of the intermediate data from the analysis processor. As a result, it is possible to extremely efficiently perform analysis processing and print processing of the image data.
On the other hand, according to the machine readable recording medium with the image analysis intermediate data recorded thereon of the present invention, the intermediate data has no rectangular coordinate data indicating a position at which each pixel is printed. As a result, it is possible to considerably reduce the size of the intermediate data unlike conventional intermediate data so as to provide very portable intermediate data.
In addition, though a calculation of a position at which each pixel is printed is conventionally made in an analysis processor, the calculation can be made in the print processor depending upon the intermediate data. It is thereby possible to keep in balance loads on the analysis processor and the print processor. Thus, in the print processor is generated no period to wait for transfer of the intermediate data from the analysis processor. As a result, it is possible to extremely efficiently perform analysis processing and print processing of the image data.